Aphids, once only a secondary pest in cotton are now a major problem for growers in some regions.

Key points *Cotton aphid uses a wide range of hosts in winter when cotton is not available. * Farm gardens provide a habitat for cotton aphid especially when conditions are dry.

There appears to have been a change in the importance of pests presenting cotton over the last decade. This has involved former secondary pests, such as aphids, A. gossypii, minds, Creontiodes spp.

Cotton aphids are a potential problem for future cotton systems.

Determining the impact of species considered potentially important natural enemies of crop pests is crucial for making robust management decisions as part of an IPM programme (Ives 1980; Johnson et al.